Shizuoka Police Apologize to Iwao Hakamata

On October 21, Takayoshi Tsuda, chief of the Shizuoka prefectural police, personally apologized to Iwao Hakamata, 88, for the 58 years of wrongful imprisonment he endured before being acquitted in a retrial for a 1966 quadruple murder. Tsuda acknowledged the 'unspeakable burden and trouble' caused by the police's actions, including the use of fabricated evidence and coercive interrogation methods that led to Hakamata's wrongful conviction. Hakamata, who spent nearly five decades on death row, was declared innocent on September 26, 2024, after a court ruling found the evidence against him, including a bloodstained shirt, was manipulated. His sister, Hideko, remarked that they viewed the ordeal as part of their fate and expressed no intent to complain about the police now. The prosecution chose not to appeal the acquittal, finalizing Hakamata's release. This incident highlights systemic issues within Japan's criminal justice system and the long fight for justice from Hakamata's family.